Video viewing is primarily an online activity. Streaming services such as Netflix have forever altered the face of media. Sites like YouTube, meanwhile, rely on centrally collected videos that are delivered to devices on demand.
However, this isn’t the only way to go, and DTube is an example of a decentralized video network. Today, we’ll look at what DTube is and how it works, but first, let’s take a look at how most online video sites work.
How Most Video Sites Work
YouTube, like almost every other video streaming website, is a centralized service. This isn’t a problem for most people. Video content is uploaded to YouTube’s servers and can be found using the search function. The content is then streamed to devices in whatever format YouTube deems best.
This method of operation has its advantages. A centralized service serves the same content to everyone. However, some argue that centralized services are a problem.
What’s the Deal With YouTube?
Because all video content is stored on YouTube’s servers, users have no control over what happens to their videos. YouTube, not YouTube users, decides what should be on their platform. If you want to monetize your videos through advertising, YouTube is the middleman who decides what is and isn’t fair to monetize.
YouTube’s algorithm is supposed to promote content fairly, but some content creators claim that there are flaws in the system, which has caused some channels to disappear overnight.
Centralized video may be a bad idea in this case. But, if YouTube is so bad, why do so many people still use it? Not everyone, to be sure. Some people have shifted to DTube.
A Brief Look at DTube
DTube is a decentralized video service that operates on a blockchain rather than a centralized server. Creators can use the service with confidence that their data is secure. Furthermore, no one outside of the DTube community can censor video content.
Money is accumulated through cryptocurrency rather than through advertisements, and there is no hidden algorithm, instead of relying on direct user feedback to rank videos.
That’s a lot of terms to remember, so let’s go over them one by one.
- DTube Is a Decentralized Platform
To begin with, DTube does not have any central servers. A blockchain is used to store all of the content. By definition, the data on a blockchain is verified by all of its members.
This is an example of Distributed Hash Tables (DHT), and it functions similarly to peer-to-peer information torrenting. As a result, there is no single definitive video file in one location, but rather a shared understanding of what the video file contains.
This makes tampering with video content on DTube difficult, if not impossible. It is not the only online app investigating this type of secure operation. If you’ve ever wondered if a truly decentralized internet is possible, DTube is an example of it in action.
Because videos are decentralized, there is no easy way to remove content from the site. This can either be a blessing or a curse. However, for some users, knowing that their content is not in the hands of a large organization is a big draw and a reason to switch to DTube.
- DTube Is a Trustworthy Service
Without a central server, there is no single location where all of the user’s data is stored, ready to be hacked. Everyone posts under predefined pseudonyms, and the site lacks a traditional login, instead of relying on the Steemit platform.
You can identify yourself however you want, but no data that you are not comfortable sharing will be leaked.
- DTube Doesn’t Have Ads
Traditional advertisements are unnecessary because DTube uses DTube Coin ($DTC) as its currency. Users can vote on videos to determine their worth. Popular videos earn $DTC, which is deposited into the creator’s wallet.
Creators are free to include advertisements in their videos, but many users dislike advertisements, so relying on $DTC appears to be the best way to monetize videos on the service.
You Can Earn Money on DTube
You may have already concluded that DTube appears to be a very appealing platform for content creators, and you would be correct.
The platform is already popular among vloggers, many of whom create content about DTube and cryptocurrency in general.
The videos on DTube only earn money for seven days, which is a significant difference. Whatever you have earned during this period has been deposited into your wallet. The video is still available on the site, but it is no longer gaining currency.
- There is no censorship on Dtube.
Another way DTube can help you is through its support for free speech. Because of decentralization, there is no traditional method of censoring videos. DTube is not like YouTube in that it gets to decide what is best for its platform.
All video content is judged by the community. In theory, the service allows anything on the site, but in practice, the community does an excellent job of filtering out irrelevant or dangerous posts. Consider Reddit without mods as an example. Depending on your point of view, this could be either heaven or hell.
- DTube Doesn’t Have a Recommendation Algorithm
YouTube’s recommendations are based on a supposedly fair metadata analysis system. Whatever you think of this, it is impossible to predict who or what will be recommended to a larger audience at any given time.
DTube avoids this issue by basing its recommendation system on user feedback and votes. If the community believes your video is valuable, it will gain traction and rank among trending videos.
- DTube Has a Good Community
DTube has a close-knit community, with many content creators collaborating on projects and sharing one another’s work. Many users compare DTube to YouTube’s early days and the community aspect of similar channels collaborating.
This active community, combined with the financial benefits of being social on the platform, makes DTube a thriving young community on the rise.
- DTube Isn’t Among the Big Five
Google, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple are all technological behemoths. They completely dominate technology. It’s difficult to find a service that doesn’t make use of them in some way. Most people do not consider or believe that the reach of these companies is an issue.
DTube is unaffiliated with these big five, so if you want to avoid large tech corporations, DTube might be for you.
DTube Is Involved in the Blockchain Revolution
Blockchain technology is transforming our media, and sites like DTube are paving the way for new ways to share both creative content and wealth.
DTube is only a small part of a larger movement, and the blockchain revolution as a whole shows no signs of slowing down.
